T
he Outer Banks beaches are so
magnificent that visitors need to
allow sufficient time to experience
all they offer.
Exploring North Carolina’s stretch of
barrier islands presents unique opportunities to engage with fishing families who
honor the traditions of generations, and to
learn about the lifesaving stations trusted
by early seafarers facing notoriously dangerous waters.
Sure you can reserve a grand beach
house – there are about 10,000 rentals
available in the Outer Banks — and stay
put there, shaping a sunny holiday with
surf and sand. You can also drive some or
all of the 138 miles of the National Scenic
Byway, or take a 25-mile ferry ride to witness coastal history, nature and tradition.
Find stellar experiences the whole
length of the Byway. Pick any stretch and
expect experiences loaded with heritage
and tons of fun.
Obvious and easy to find are the four
lighthouses, two national seashores named
Hatteras and Cape Lookout, two national
Elizabethan Gardens connect Outer Banks to settlers.
wildlife refuges and the little hill where the
Wright Brothers launched the first heavierthan-air powered flight.
Many more places also offer depth with in these 21 National Scenic Byway villages.
Here are five allowing deep connections:
• Jockey’s Ridge dune hang gliding
• Core Sound Waterfowl Museum and
Heritage Center
• 16th century Elizabethan garden and
sailing vessel
• Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum
• Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station
Kill Devil Hills to Jockey’s Ridge
Orville and Wilbur Wright took turns
on their first four flights, and 59 seconds in
the air was their all-time record.
You, too, can fly at the Outer Banks,
taking off from the largest living sand dune
on the east coast, not far from the National
Park Service National Monument dedicated to the Wright Brothers. Combine
seeing the actual spot of those four flights
with Park Ranger storytelling and exhibits
before heading to Jockey’s Ridge State Park.
Run up the dune which has peaks of 90
feet, or trudge slowly just for the view from
the top. Sunsets are spectacular.
Book a class with America’s oldest and
largest hang gliding school and fly back
down. $109 covers a 45-minute lesson on
the ground plus five flights. Jeff Schwartzenberg, who has been teaching with Kitty
Hawk Kites for 29 years, says everybody
can do it.
“You can fly when you’re four years old,
and we’ve flown with someone who was
98.”
What a way to connect with the reality
of those Wright brothers in the Outer
Banks wind and sand…..even if you only
watch others strap on the big kite.
Core Sound Waterfowl Museum &
Heritage Center
Finely carved decoys in the Core Sound
Waterfowl Museum are but one of the artistic expressions helping the rest of us better
appreciate fishing families. Find this center
of abundant heritage and education in
“Down East,” on the southernmost part of
the Byway, almost to the city of Beaufort.
“Core Sound is sacred to us. These
Outer Banks and shores and shoals are like
a retreat to many a mind and a peace to
the soul,” said Barbara Garrity-Blake who
co-authored an insightful book named Fish
House Opera.
You might just find her in the Museum
amidst the wildlife art, quilts and quilters,
in the library and research center, or resting
OUTER BANKS VISITORS BUREAU